Industry Boom Supersonic and Rolls-Royce agree on new collaboration

Boom Supersonic and technology company Rolls-Royce have agreed on a new collaboration which will see both airlines working together to design the engine program for Boom Supersonic´s new aircraft Overture.

Over the course of the partnership, the companies will explore the pairing of a Rolls-Royce propulsion system with the supersonic passenger aircraft. Goal of the agreement is to work out solutions that could be implemented on Overture´s airframe.

Teams from Boom and Rolls-Royce will work collaboratively on engine-airframe matching activities. Furthermore, key activities and key aspects of the propulsion system will be defined and worked out. Also, the teams will check, whether an existing architecture could be adopted for supersonic flight.

Blake Scholl, Boom founder and CEO commented: “We’ve had a series of valuable collaborations and co-locations with Rolls-Royce over the past years to lay the groundwork for this next phase of development [...] We look forward to building on the progress and rapport that we’ve already built with our collaboration as we work to refine Overture’s design and bring sustainable supersonic transport to passenger travel.”

Simon Carlisle, Director of Strategy, Rolls-Royce added: “We share a strong interest in supersonic flight and in sustainability strategies for aviation with Boom [...] We’re now building on our valuable experience in this space as well as our previous work together to further match and refine our engine technology for Boom’s Overture.”

With Overture, Boom Supersonic hopes to bring the most environmentally friendly supersonic jet ever to the market and the design and technology of the engine is a crucial part. The aerodynamically formed fuselage will be made of lightweight carbon composite.

The aim for Boom is it, to begin passenger service in the mid-2020s. Until then however, it is a long way to go.

Overture is expected to accommodate 45 passengers including 10 in first class. The length of the aircraft will be 52m with a wingspan of 18m. With the three medium-bypass turbofans without afterburners, the aircraft could reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. The range of the supersonic jet is expected to be 4,500 nautical miles (8,300km).